Designed by Terry Dunton Stevenson and produced by Camera Art Limited, this exhibit interprets the history of the Post Office in Prince Edward island. The story line is set in 1907 when L.M. Montgomery sent her manuscript “Anne of Green Gables” to Boston, Massachusetts for the fifth time, when it was accepted for publication.
Lucy Maude was assistant postmaster in the Cavendish Post Office, which was located in the home of her maternal grandparents. Because of this, she was able to write and send off her manuscripts without the knowledge or censure of the local folk, which otherwise may have discouraged her from resubmitting her work.
Wall coverings and colour and style of the exhibit were coordinated to give some suggestion of the period without getting into historic decor. The type style is Albertan, a digitized version of a turn-of-the-century typeface.
The panels were designed on computer, and type and graphics silkscreened. The iceboat crossing diorama by Terry Dunton Stevenson was executed in an artistic and expressive style rather than strictly representational, although historic photos were used for reference throughout.
There is an interactive component in many parts of the exhibit. A crown seal, the symbol of registered mail, tracks the progress of the package that Maude sent to Boston. Enlarged postmarks were used to give the exhibit a postal “feel”.
Client: Canada Post, Ottawa